Background: Recent studies have revealed the association between mapping and arithmetic (Ferres-Forga et al., "J. Numer. Cogn.", 8, 2022, 123; LeFevre et al., "J. Numer. Cogn.", 8, 2022, 1). Aim: The underlying mechanism remains unclear. Materials & Methods: The current study recruited 118 kindergarten children and followed…

The link between a student's math fluency and their success in general chemistry has been thoroughly documented in the literature. One diagnostic instrument that can be used to assess a student's arithmetic skills is the Math-Up Skills Test (MUST), a 20-question, free-response math test completed in 15 min. The MUST instrument assesses the…

A theoretical model describing Grade 7 students' rational number sense was formulated and validated empirically (n = 360), hypothesizing that rational number sense is a general construct consisting of three factors: basic rational number sense, arithmetic sense, and flexibility with rational numbers. Data analysis suggested that rational-number…

Little is known about the cognitive effort associated with algebraic activity in the elementary and middle school grades. However, this investigation is significant for sensitizing teachers and researchers to the mental demands of algebra learning. In this paper, we focus on the relationship between algebraic thinking and domain-general cognitive…

This paper aims to characterise an indicator of the development of the number sequence scheme among students at the level of Compulsory Secondary Education (14-16 years old students). To do so, we use a scheme development proposed by the APOS theory to characterise students' use of relations between mathematical elements when solving a…

In this article, the authors share frameworks for problem types and students' reasoning about integers. The authors found that all ways of reasoning (WoRs) were used across grade levels and that specific problem types tended to evoke particular WoRs. Specifically, students were more likely to use analogy-based reasoning on all-negatives problems…

Understanding fraction magnitudes is foundational for later math achievement. To represent a fraction "x/y," children are often taught to use "partitioning": break the whole into "y" parts, and shade in "x" parts. Past research has shown that partitioning on number lines supports children's fraction…

Understanding fraction magnitudes is foundational for later math achievement. To represent a fraction x/y, children are often taught to use "partitioning": Break the whole into y parts and shade in x parts. Past research has shown that partitioning on number lines supports children's fraction magnitude knowledge more than partitioning on…

The purpose of this study was to analyze the problem-solving techniques that students in a fifth-grade classroom applied while solving mathematical word problems. Fifth-grade students in a private school with Ministry of Education curricula in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, were given a set of 15-word problems to solve with detailed justifications. The…

This groundbreaking book looks at the development of mathematical thinking in infants and toddlers, with an emphasis on the earliest stage, from zero to three, when mathematical thinking and problem solving first emerge as natural instincts. The text explores the four precursor math concepts--attribute, comparison, change, and pattern--with an…

This contribution belongs to a larger empirical study that focuses on issues related to the implementation of inquiry-based learning and formative assessment in science and mathematics education, while it also refers to the issue of STEM education. Here, we discuss the two topics from the perspective of professional preparation of primary school…